New BBC3 Show on the hunt for Young Entrepreneurs

BBC3 along with Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed will present a £1m Apprentice-style business show featuring 500 aspiring young entrepreneurs.

The show, titled ‘Be Your Own Boss’ will see the budding business heads given cash by Reed and told to turn it into a profit, with up to £1m of Reed’s own money expected to be thrown forward.

Reed said: “Setting up and running Innocent with my friends has been a life-enhancing adventure.

“That’s why I’m excited to be part of this new series giving others the chance to have the same experience, starting their own business and setting them up to become successful entrepreneurs.”

The beeb are already billing it as the “ultimate search for the start-up stars of the future … the groups of friends with killer ideas, hungry for a shot at life-changing investment”.

BBC3 controller Zai Bennett said: “Richard is one the UK’s most successful young entrepreneurs, so we’re delighted that he will offer the BBC3 audience not only the benefit of his experience, but also risk his own money as he offers them the chance to follow in his footsteps in Be Your Own Boss.”

Innocent was established in 1998 by Reed and two of his friends from Cambridge University. It rapidly went on to become the number one smoothie brand in the country.